Conventional massaging apparatus incorporating a roller massaging mechanism include a bed-type one as described, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. SHO 59-28963 and a relatively compact stationary-type one as described, for example, in Japanese Examined Patent Publication HEI No. 4-78307 or Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. HEI 2-109628.
The bed-type massaging apparatus includes a roller massaging mechanism which is shiftable in the longitudinal direction of the bed. The massaging mechanism comprises a transversely extending rotary shaft capable of moving longitudinally of the bed, and a pair of right and left massaging rollers mounted on the rotary shaft as slanted relative to the axis of the rotary shaft, the rollers being slanted opposite to each other.
The aforementioned stationary-type massaging apparatus comprises a compact stationary-type casing having an opening oriented upward and a roller massaging mechanism disposed in the casing. In this arrangement, the roller massaging mechanism comprises a rotary shaft rotatably supported by the casing, and a pair of right and left disc-shaped massaging rollers mounted on the rotary shaft at an intermediate location corresponding to the opening, the pair of right and left massaging rollers being mounted as slanted relative to the axis of the rotary shaft in opposite directions.
Since the pair of right and left massaging rollers are slanted opposite to each other in the roller massaging mechanism, the distance between the peripheries of the massaging rollers is widened and narrowed as the rotary shaft rotates, whereby when the massaging rollers are pressed against an affected part of a user, they perform a kneading massage.
In the conventional roller massaging mechanism, however, the pair of right and left massaging rollers are fixed on the rotary shaft as slanted opposite to each other and, hence, the slanting direction of each roller relative to the rotary shaft cannot be varied, thus providing the kneading massage only.
Accordingly, the conventional massaging mechanism capable of performing only the kneading massage with the pair of right and left slanted massaging rollers cannot meet users' diversified needs and tends to let users lose their interest easily.
Although a variety of massaging apparatus performing various massaging operations as well as the kneading massage have been suggested, such massaging apparatus generally have a complicated structure in the drive system of massaging members or in the control program for performing various massaging operations and, hence, are large in size and expensive.
The present invention has been accomplished in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a roller massaging mechanism which can perform, as well as the kneading massage, other massaging operations with a less complicated structure, and massaging apparatus incorporating such mechanism.